In the News

Worcester News Tonight covered New England's first Algorave, which was brought to PopUp Worcester by Charlie Roberts, assistant professor of computer science. Roberts, along with Gillian Smith, assistant professor of computer science, participated in live coding to create images and music simultaneously for attendees to enjoy. Roberts said one of the goals of the event was to combine computer science with art to make coding easier to digest and more accessible to students. (Clip begins at 9:21)

NSF360 (2:17 mark), the National Science Foundation’s online news channel featured work by Erin Solovey, assistant professor of computer science, on using non-invasive sensors to capture brain wave images to better understand how a person learns using on-line programs. Solovey’s research received $1 million in funding from the NSF.

The Telegram & Gazette's College Town led off with news of WPI hosting its second annual Women in Data Science Central Massachusetts Conference, a satellite event coinciding with the annual Global Women in Data Science Conference.

Channel 3 “Worcester News Tonight” aired an interview with Erin Solovey, associate professor of computer science, about her NSF-funded research. Solovey is leading a team of researchers in developing a new program combining computer science and neuroscience tools to study online learning.

The T&G's College Town reported on work by Craig Shue, associate professor of computer science, to develop "containerization" technology, to prevent a malware attack via commercial websites. Shue received a three-year grant from the National Science foundation for this work.

Education Post featured an op-ed by Neil Heffernan, professor of computer science and director of learning sciences and technologies, that examines ways school districts nationwide can make homework more effective and relevant. In “Schools Don’t Need to Ban Homework; They Just Need to Make It Better,” Heffernan argues for homework technologies that help replicate the kind of back-and-forth interactions that students and teachers have in class.

The Worcester Business Journal reported that WPI received a $895,000 grant from the Department of Education to provide six fellowships to graduate students looking to pursue studies in artificial intelligence. The program, called Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAAN), comes in anticipation of a decrease in artificial intelligence professionals in the field. GAAN will train students in the artificial intelligence field, and connect them with colleagues in academic, industry and government settings.

Forbes noted an online math tutoring system developed by WPI researchers in this article. Computer Science Professor Neil Heffernan created ASSISTments, which will be part of a study looking at the impact of interest-focused algebra problems on student success and connectedness with STEM careers, Forbes reported.

This article featured the news that computer science assistant professor Jacob Whitehill and his colleagues received a $750,000 from the National Science Foundation to develop a platform that will combine machine learning, natural language processing, and elements of psychology and educational theory to deliver rapid feedback on teacher-student interactions.

Emmanuel Agu, professor of computer science, was featured in a profile in Diversity in Action on his road to exploring computer science, and how it landed him a teaching position at WPI. "I found that WPI's philosophy of integrating theory with practice matches the way I approach problems," he said.

The Wall Street Journal quoted Associate Professor Craig Shue, computer science, in this article. The census “is a treasure trove of information for nation-state hackers [because] it hopefully will have information about every American,” Shue told The Journal.

WTOP radio in Washington, D.C., aired a segment featuring Erkan Tüzel, associate professor of physics, biomedical engineering, and computer science, discussing a sperm-sorting device that could improve IVF success. The segment also appears on the National Academy of Engineering web site.

This article featured the WPI graduation story of David D’Antonio who, in 1980, was a few classes short of earning a computer science degree when he ran out of money and dropped out. “Thirty-eight years later, the Arlington resident received his long-awaited diploma as well as praise from WPI president Laurie Leshin, who noted his ‘special amount of perseverance’ in her speech honoring the 981 undergraduates at the commencement ceremony on May 12.

WBZ-TV​ profiled research in which a team of researchers from WPI and Stanford University developed a sperm sorting device that could improve IVF Success. The device uses an “obstacle course” to sort and select faster and healthier sperm cells.

The New York Times quoted computer science professor Craig Shue about cybersecurity concerns related to Internet-enabled devices, as its Right At Home column asks, “Is My Not-So-Smart House Watching Me?”